Subscribe
Follow Us
When it comes to the NBA card game, every collector knows it’s mostly about the rookie cards. After all, first-year cards often command a hefty price on the market.
However, this trend takes a downward turn when that player–especially if he’s a top prospect in the NBA–isn’t performing that well. As a result, you can expect his rookie card value to plummet for the foreseeable future, or until the said player gets his act together.
Such is the case with several stars during the 2020-21 season. Some of them were projected to take another leap and take their team along for the ride. Instead, they have underperformed as of late, which has contributed to their team’s poor showing in the standings.
While the players listed below are not playing to their expectations, this doesn’t mean there’s no more value to their cards. Although their stock has decreased lately, it doesn’t mean they’re bound to stay there for a long time. In fact, their poor performance is the perfect time to buy low on these players because they’ll eventually get their act together again soon.
When that happens, you’ll make a killing when you cash out on these players in the market.
With that said, here are the top three buy-low candidates whose NBA cards you should hoard as soon as possible.
Karl-Anthony Towns
First on our list is Minnesota Timberwolves' All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who is in a massive rut lately. In this season alone, he has just played a total of four games for the Wolves, thanks to injuries, family matters and the league’s health safety protocols. As a result, Minnesota has taken a nosedive in the West standings with a 5-16 record, making them one of the worst teams in the NBA right now.
A glimmer of hope every Minnesota fan should cling to, however, is how KAT is going to perform when he comes back soon. In the four games he played this season, the 6-foot-11 center averaged 22.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.8 blocks per game. He’s also hitting 37.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc during those contests.
Those numbers alone show Karl-Anthony Towns is the perfect buy-low candidate for card collectors. His raw 2015-16 Prizm rookie card recently fetched $52 from an auction last February 3rd. If KAT takes off from where he left, you can expect Minnesota to gather some wins. His monster stats and a couple of victories will surely do good for Towns’ card value.
Pascal Siakam
Article Continues Below
When Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors after winning a title, everyone looked up to Pascal Siakam to fill the void. Spicy P did just that when he became the team's No.1 option on offense during the 2019-20 season, averaging 22.9 points per game.
This year, things aren’t looking quite as good for the fifth-year forward. The departure of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka has made Toronto’s frontcourt situation bleak. Siakam’s regression also contributed to the Raptors' poor 9-12 record, making them one of the worst teams in the East.
Siakam is currently averaging 19.2 points with a lowly 23.6 percent rating from the 3-point line. His turnover rate and fouls have also increased in the 18 games he has played for the Raptors.
The key thing to consider here is the NBA season is still young. There’s plenty of time for Siakam to redeem himself and help Toronto correct its course. When he does, his 2016-17 raw Prizm rookie card, which was last auctioned off at a meager price of $11.11 on February 3rd, will certainly shoot up. Siakam’s value will never get lower than this, making him one of the best players to hoard at this point of the season.
Luka Doncic
Last, but certainly not the least, is Luka Doncic. Now, the Young Goat’s recent woes are not exactly tied to his on-court performance. The culprit here is how the Dallas Mavericks are performing recently.
Dallas is currently 14th place in the Western Conference with a 9-12 record. At one point, the Mavs lost six straight games to NBA powerhouse teams such as the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. These losses have led to Doncic growing more frustrated over his team’s poor showing.
As a result, Doncic’s value slightly went down during the past few days. Before Dallas’ losing streak started, his PSA 10 Prizm rookie card sold for $1,525 on January 21st. In comparison, another PSA 10 Prizm rookie card was auctioned off this February 4th for $1,377.
While this amount isn’t a stark drop, Doncic’s stock is still considered in a downward trend. If Dallas doesn’t get its act together soon, Luka's NBA card value may even tumble further.
This is a good development for card fans to make the most out of their investment in Doncic. For sure, his value will climb back up again at some point during this NBA season. Just like Siakam and Towns before him, Doncic offers collectors this wonderful chance for a short amount of time. Better to stockpile their cards now before this window closes.
